50 People Dead As Tanker Explosion Rocks Benue

At least 50 people have been reported dead after a fuel tanker fell and exploded in Benue State on Monday, July 1, 2019.
The tanker exploded in Ahumbe village along Aliade road in the Gwer East Local Government Area of the state while heading towards Makurdi, the state capital.
The office of the state governor, Samuel Ortom, said 50 people were killed in the fire.
The Federal Fire Service said its men responded to the accident at 04:17 pm and were able to contain the fire and stop it from further escalation and destruction.

“Investigations are still ongoing to ascertain the actual cause of the fire and the level of casualty,”

An official statement read.
The Benue State Police Command reported that many villagers had ignored warnings and swarmed the tanker to scoop fuel after it fell, just before the explosion.
Eyewitnesses also reported that an 18-seater commercial bus with passengers also ran into the tanker and similarly caught fire. Dozens of people are also reported to have been injured in the fire.
The Fire Service said its officers at the scene have commenced search and rescue with victims taken to the hospital for medical attention.